The present invention is a unique and useful device to solve the long-term (>20 years) problem of increasing the sleep or dwell time of a competitive or novelty yo-yo. International patent application WO 2004004859 A1 (Spinning Toy with Attracting Means) describes a yo-yo having annular magnets attached to the ends of its axle for picking up ring objects made of a yieldable material and having magnetic portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,764,509 describes a yo-yo having side caps attached to the outside of each half of the yo-yo, configured to rotate independently about the main axis of the yo-yo. Each side cap includes a magnetic weighting element that enables a user to perform tricks with the yo-yo. It may be noted that U.S. Pat. No. 8,764,509 refers to enhanced grind rings enabling the user to perform longer grinds, which are tricks where the yo-yo touches the user's hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,440,157 B1 describes an alternate yo-yo capable of being electrically accelerated when held by hand comprising two spinning bodies, a connector connecting the two spinning bodies as a whole, side shaft sleeves provided at center positions of outer sides of the spinning bodies, an electrical acceleration mechanism provided inside the spinning bodies, and a bearing disposed between the two spinning bodies for winding a yo-yo string. An electrical acceleration mechanism is connected to the spinning bodies. Only when the spin speed is high enough, one grabs the yo-yo string and releases the yo-yo; the player can then have sufficient time to perform various yo-yo tricks. Further, it is proposed the yo-yo can be re-accelerated when its spin speed is too slow. When the side shaft sleeves are not grabbed, the electrical acceleration mechanism stops operating while the yo-yo continues to spin due to inertia.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,506,459 describes a magnetically-balanced spinning apparatus having an upright rotating shaft assembly balanced by circumscribing magnets. The rotating shaft assembly is constructed from a single shaft with at least two magnets mounted thereon in a spaced apart relationship. The rotating shaft assembly is balanced on a pivot point at the bottom and spins on a weight bearing surface. A frame having side support magnets generally circumscribes the rotating shaft assembly wherein the support magnets and the rotating magnets of the rotating shaft assembly react to repel each other thereby balancing the rotating shaft assembly in a vertical orientation, and simultaneously levitating the rotating shaft assembly to minimize the effects of gravity thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,326,610 discloses a permanent magnet bearing applicable for supporting the rotating element of an electric meter and suggests that it may be used as a bearing for a variety of precision devices. Magnetic bearings are common in electrical measuring devices wherein the attraction forces between unlike magnetic poles or the repelling forces between like magnetic poles are used for rotatably supporting one element of the measuring device with respect to another element of the device. The particular construction of the electrical measuring device makes the use of the repelling forces between like magnetic poles the most convenient to incorporate within the magnetic support bearing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,245 describes a dish-shaped magnet with an upper surface of a first polarity and a lower surface of a second polarity disposed in co-axial relationship to a second magnet having the opposite polar relationships. The magnetic fields in one form of the apparatus positions the second magnet in spaced relation to the dish-shaped magnet. The apparatus has application as a novelty as well as for gyroscopic and other instrumentation apparatus wherein friction must be minimized. The upper magnet may be rotated either manually or by associated apparatus to provide gyroscopic stability.
International patent application WO 2008002167 A1 describes a modified classical spinning top comprising a coaxially-mounted permanent magnet on its spinning axis. A second permanent magnet with the opposite polarity is manually moved above the top to drive the spinning top in a horizontal direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,109 discloses that many yo-yo tricks require the yo-yo to spin freely at the end of a string without climbing up the string. A yo-yo spinning freely at the end of the string is commonly said to “sleep” or “dwell.” Ideally, a user will cause the yo-yo to sleep, and perform the desired trick while the yo-yo is sleeping. In a “responsive” yo-yo, after the trick has been executed, the user tugs the string and the yo-yo climbs up the string again (referred to herein as “waking up” the yo-yo). A “non-responsive” yo-yo requires the use of response pads with which the string comes in contact during a “bind” in order to get the yo-yo to rewind the string and return to the user's hand; it will not “wake up” with a tug on the string. The spinning is necessary in equal parts for allowing sleeping and returning with the bind. While it becomes increasingly easier to make the yo-yo sleep as the friction forces between the string and the yo-yo are decreased, it also becomes increasingly difficult to wake up the yo-yo and cause it to climb up the string from a sleeping condition. Thus, the friction forces between the string and axle must be adjusted to accommodate the skill level of the user and the types of tricks to be performed.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,053,940 describes a magnetic motor generator that produces electric power by rotating a one-piece magnetic floating flywheel assembly that is operated by a linear induction motor and repelled upward by a stationary natural magnet. The floating flywheel assembly magnetic axle rotates inside magnetic collar bearings, which have repelling stationary magnets to center the axle at speed. The floating flywheel assembly rotors move inside generator stators to generate electric power. The floating flywheel assembly has no physical contact with other components to prevent bearing losses at speed. A timing computer controls the operation of the linear induction motor, assesses the speed of the floating flywheel assembly, and fires only when necessary to maintain rotation. The moving components are enclosed in a vacuum chamber to prevent wind resistance, or windage losses at speed.
Passive Magnetic Bearing Development, by Mark Siebert, University of Toledo, and NASA Glenn Mechanical Components Branch (May 2002), https://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/spacemech/workshop02/mag-brg.html, discloses a study on a 100 percent passive magnetic flywheel rig with no active control components. Flywheel energy storage systems are being considered as efficient energy storage devices for use on unmanned, low earth orbit satellites. These systems are expected to provide five to ten times improvement in specific energy storage capacity with longer life than current battery systems. Low-loss magnetic bearings will be needed to support the flywheel rotor. For smaller satellites, they investigated a simple system that used only passive magnets for radial bearing support and jewel bearings for axial support. The objective was to determine whether the bearing system had sufficient stiffness and damping built in to allow performance over the required speed range.